Arduin of Ivrea

Who was Arduin of Ivrea?

Arduin was Margrave of Ivrea and King of Italy.

Arduin was born around 955 and named after his maternal grandfather, Arduin Glaber. His father, Dado, Count of Pombia, was a nephew of King Berengar II. Arduin married Bertha, daughter of Otbert II, Margrave of Milan. They had three sons: Arduin, Otto and Guibert. From them descended the later counts of Ivrea and in turn those of Agliè, Brosso, Castellamonte, Front and Rivarolo.

In 990, Arduin succeeded his kinsman Conrad in the March of Ivrea. Conrad was a son of Berengar II and married to a daughter of Arduin Glaber. It is unclear if Arduin was appointed to Ivrea by the king–emperor Otto III or if he succeeded as Conrad's heir. The March of Ivrea, since its restructuring under Berengar II in 950, consisted of the counties of Burgaria, Ivrea, Lomello, Ossola, Pombia, Stazzona and Vercelli and the dioceses of Ivrea, Novara, Vercelli and Vigevano, plus part of those of Pavia and Milan.

Arduin was excommunicated for the murder of the Bishop of Vercelli in 997.

He was made King of Italy after the death of Otto III in 1002, while in Germany Henry II was acclaimed king. At first Arduin was "elected by the Lombards in Pavia and was called ‘caesar’ [emperor] by all", according to the chronicler Arnulf of Milan. He then made the rounds of the kingdom with the Archbishop of Milan publicly at his side. The territorial magnates of Italy professed to favour him but secretly were in favour of Henry, according to Arnulf. His enemies in the church, led by Frederick, Archbishop of Ravenna, sided with the new king of Germany. Henry sent Duke Otto I of Carinthia, whom he set over the March of Verona, to face Arduin, who was successful in a pitched battle at Fabrica.